Writing as Therapy

Exorcising Inner Demons

Rachell Hayes

Book Proposal
Book Title
Writing as Therapy

Subtitle
Exorcising Inner Demons

Publishers
The content of my proposed book spans across several genres of reading materials.
Publishers interested in books on therapy, counseling, writing, journaling, and memoir
would profit from publishing this book. Fortunately, in my research, I discovered two
specific publishers: Jessica Kingsley Publishers and Routledge Mental Health. Jessica
Kingsley Publishers specializes in books on social work, autism, and art therapies.
Routledge Mental Health publishes academic books and journals.
Some of their published works include self-help books for treating depression without
antidepressants. I believe my book fits in with their catalogues promoting healthy, noninvasive self-treatments for general depression, post-partum depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

Tagline
Writing as Therapy: Exorcising Inner Demons acts as a guide to recognizing and conquering
personal fears through the liberating practice of writing.

Description
Millions of people walk this Earth carrying the burden of previous traumatic experiences
without the emotional capacity to recognize the consequences these events have on their
daily lives. Every day, people make choices influenced by their pasts. What if there was a
way to trace every bad decision to one or a series of events in your life? What if there was a
way to break the cycle?
Many people living through different situations benefit from writing therapeutically.
Cancer patients fighting their diseases often chronicle their struggles, revealing the
realities of a situation so many people need to understand. Not only is it healthy for the
cancer survivor to vent their experiences, caretakers and family members learn to
understand the reality of this persons life so much more than just generic conversations
about their treatments and medication side-effects.
Social workers often struggle with child abuse survivors. It is very difficult for these
survivors to trust and open up to new people. They choose to express their frustrations and
fears through acting out. Now, there are documented success stories involving abuse
survivors expressing these emotions through writing. These individuals claim writing

about their experiences helped them gain control of their situation and allowed them
ownership of their lives. They have also reported a deep sense of fulfillment from sharing
these written memoirs with new inductees into the social work system.
Sons and daughters reaching adulthood often find themselves caring for their parents in
the later stages of their lives as they fight disease and age. Sometimes these caretakers
accumulate a lot of guilt as they shoulder these burdens in what should essentially be the
beginning of their lives. This can feel like surviving a type of crisis. They need to express
these emotions without fear of judgment. Writing allows them to vent their pain and fears
privately, and possibly finding the strength to eventually share all of it with their family and
friends.
These stories are just a few examples of the memoirs presented in the first part of this
book. This will serve as a tool to relate the reader with the procedures in this book.
Knowing others are willing to share their life experiences with the reader gains his or her
trust and motivates him or her to consider the positive outcomes of therapeutic writing.
These narratives are gathered from interviews with crisis survivors who mentor in online
support forums. I want my readers to grow from these moments and accept surviving these
moments as part of their strength instead of viewing it as a weakness. Reading about
successful people who have survived similar experiences and are now mentoring other
survivors will help them gain perspective and hope.
The book even begins with my personal history of surviving trauma and writing
therapeutically. Sharing my story and the story of others leads into demonstrating the most
successful step-by-step methods to writing emotionally powerful events, so the writer can
eventually piece all of these responses together into a single, unified clarity. For the sake of
readers searching for hard numbers and facts, I have also included case-study statistics
gathered from my research in the introduction. This provides real data for the reader to
keep in mind as he or she struggles through the healing process.
Writing as Therapy acts as a guide for personal journeys into the darker events of our lives
to better understand how these events affected us and how we cope with these effects.

Target Audience
My book is appropriate for a wide variety of people at every stage in their life. Anyone
attending crisis counseling, group therapy, or taking anti-depressant medication will
benefit from this book.
This book also appeals to caretakers, friends, and family members who held the hands of
loved-ones as they worked through their pain. Helping someone survive a difficult
experience can be just as emotionally draining as surviving it yourself. These people need
to heal just as badly. This book can help them express the exhaustion, frustration, and
anguish they went through as well.

Survey of Related Titles

Book 1:
Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling our Stories Transforms our Lives
Louise Desalvo
Beacon Press Books, 1999
217 Pages
This book describes the process of personal growth an individual obtains when writing
reflectively on painful events in his/her life. The idea is to express pain through emotional
recurring of events on paper and the stages of healing experienced during this writing.
The book mostly focuses on warning the reading of the intense, emotional reactions one
encounters when writing about such events and how to handle this grief.
Book 2:
Writing Works: A Resource Handbook for Therapeutic Writing Workshops and Activities
Gillie Bolton, Victoria Field, Kate Thompson, Ed.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006
255 Pages
This book is a collection of essays, articles, and excerpts from writers in different
professions (medical, journalism, social work) sharing their experiences with utilizing
writing as a tool for healing.
The different essays teach people how to write for therapy as well as the personal reasons
to write such as reflecting on the awkwardness of physical development at a tender age,
poetry writing for expressing intense feelings, and confessing to personal demons.
Book 3:
Writing Cures: An Introductory Handbook of Writing in Counseling and Psychotherapy
Gillie Bolton
Psychology Press, 2004
Brunner-Routledge, 2004
This book is a testament of scientific research proving the benefits of writing during
counseling and psychotherapy treatments.
Different chapters in the book address different genres of therapeutic writing including
journal writing, reflective narratives, poetry writing, etc. But most importantly, it brings
writing therapy into this century by describing the healing power of blogging or consulting
an online community/support forum.

Outline of Book

Introduction
o Discuss my own personal experience with writing therapy

o Provide examples of scholarship supporting my argument for this type of

activity
o Encourage the reader to pursue the book with an open mind and heart
Part I
o Different narratives sharing personal experiences with trauma
o Share the different forms of therapy and the different levels of help each
therapy provides the survivor
o Each interviewee shares the impact therapeutic writing has on their
emotional growth
Part II
o Step-by-step instruction on how to begin writing reflectively about painful
events starting with free writing on sadness, depression, and fear
o The next step is to write about the individual events which trigger these
stressful emotions
o Next is to write more in depth on these events, these emotions, and reflect on
the choices resulting from these experiences
Conclusion
o Finally, through a culmination of reading and sharing these journals, the
writer can gain some clarity about their life and begin to heal through
acknowledgement and acceptance

Special Features
The text includes narrative memoirs based on biographical interviews with trauma
survivors to provide tangible context with warmth rather than cold numbers from medical
studies.

Author Bio
The dark events in my own personal history impacted my emotional growth through my
teen years and continue to affect my responses as I mature into a young adult. At twentyone years old I began writing in a journal to sort my life out on the written page. As I grew
relaxed in my writing, I started to write about some traumatic experiences in my life.
I cried, I laughed, and I shared this pain with the people I trusted and loved most. They said,
This explains so much, and as though it finally dawned on me for the first time, I began to
realize how much of my life was centered around things I had yet to let go of, centered
around things I had yet to completely deal with and accept as part of my life.
I believe everyone can really benefit from this kind of writing. It really it helped me gain
control over my emotional insecurities and the responses they continued to elicit from me.
Although, I still find myself returning to a protective state, I also find myself trusting easier
and enjoying the happiness it has brought to my life.
In May 2012, I graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a Bachelors of
Arts in Professional and Technical Writing. I immediately enrolled into the Masters
program of the same degree that fall. I am now working as a first-year Composition
instructor passing on my wisdom to the future generations of writers.

Table of Contents
Introduction
A Note From The Author
Case Studies On Writing Therapy Success

Addiction Anonymous Groups

Support Groups
Crisis Counseling
Treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Overview

Part One
Narratives

Living as an Alcoholic by the Administrator of the SoberRecovery.com Forum

I said No by Vera, Founder of AfterSilence.org
Cancer can have my Body but not my Soul by Renee House
Daddy doesnt use a Belt by Samantha Pate
My Mothers Battle with Cancer; My Battle with Guilt by Ashlee Sanders
Facing Myself(ves): Living with Bipolar Disorder by Rachell Hayes

Interviews With The Authors

Morning Glory: runs the support forum with Alcoholics/Addicts Anonymous

Vera: crisis interventionist at NYC/Manhattan area hospitals
Renee House: ovarian cancer survivor
Samantha Pate: counselor for child abuse victims in Saline County
Ashlee Sanders: CNA and caretaker

Part Two
Writing About Anything And Everything

Step 1 Writing about your Day

Step 2 Writing your Thoughts
Step 3 Writing your Nightmares, Memories, and Flashbacks

Writing About The Worst Day Of Your Life

Step 1 Writing just the Facts

Step 2 Writing without the Details
Step 3 Writing about your Every Sense: Feel, Smell, Hear, See, Taste

Writing About Managing To Get Through The Day

Step 1 Writing about your Emotions
Step 2 Writing about your Choices
Step 3 Writing about the People you Love
Step 4 Writing about the People who Love you
Step 5 Writing about Yourself

The End of the Journey

Understanding Yourself
Full Circle
What Do We Do Now?

Advice from the Author and Interviewees

I.

Narratives
A.

Living as an Alcoholic
1.
Written by Morning Glory: administrator of SoberRecovery.com
Forum
2.
His personal story of living life dependent on alcohol, the life-altering
event which inspired him to seek sobriety, and the struggle he faced working
through the 12 step program

B.

I said No
1.
Written by Vera: founder of AfterSilence.org, crisis interventionist,
and rape survivor
2.
Her personal recollection of the violent attack she survived, the trial
where she was forced to testify in front of her attacker, and her struggle to
maintain trusting relationships with her family, friends, and husband

C.

Cancer can have my Body but not my Soul

1.
Written by Renee House: registered nurse, instructor at Ouachita
Technical College, and ovarian cancer survivor
2.
Retelling the moment she feared she had cancer, the news of her
diagnosis, her secret intense fight through treatments, the confrontation with
her family, and the day she learned she reached remission

D.

Daddy doesnt use a Belt

1.
Written by Samantha Pate: CNA at Sweet Home nursing home and
child abuse survivor
2.
Describing, not the incidents of her abuse, but the slow realization she
was not punished in ways other children were punished, and her battle
through the legal system for relocation into the foster system and
prosecuting her father for sexual abuse of a minor

E.

My Mothers Battle with Cancer; My Battle with Guilt

1.
Written by Ashlee Sanders: UALR undergraduate student, caretaker,
and former CNA
2.
Story detailing the radical changes in Ashlees life when her mother
was diagnosed with cancer as she was just entering college, the new role she
was forced to fill, and her internal war with harsh feelings of guilt and
resentment

F.

Facing Myself(ves)

1.
Written by the author, Rachell Hayes: teaching assistant and graduate
student at UALR
2.
Very real story of determining a chemical imbalance during
adolescence and learning to grow from the emotional limitations her
disorder poses in her everyday life

II.

Interviews with the Authors

A.

Morning Glory
1.
Answers questions related to the narrative about his emotional
struggles and how alcoholism affected (and still affects) his daily decisions
2.
Answers questions about writing journals during his AA twelve step
program
3.
How did his reflection on this writing change his outlook on his
recovery?
4.

Did he show his writing to his family? If so, how did they react?

5.
Answers questions about recommending writing as therapy to the
people in addicts and alcoholics online forum community
6.
B.

Answers questions about current personal writing

Vera
1.
Answers questions related to the narrative her emotional recovery
from her attack and how she managed to cope with the event in her daily life
2.
Answers questions about writing during her crises counseling and
sharing this material with her counselor
3.

How did reflecting on this writing affect her outlook on her life?

4.
Did she show the writing to family or friends? If so, how did they
react?
5.
Answers questions about recommending writing as therapy during
crisis intervention and support group mentorship
6.
C.

Answers questions about her current writing

Renee House

1.
Answers questions related to her diagnosis, the treatment, why she
kept it secretive through most of her struggle, and sharing the events with
her family
2.
Answers questions about the journal she kept throughout her fight
and sharing this material with the nursing staff
3.

How does reflecting on the journal affect her reflection on the ordeal?

4.
Answer questions about why she chose to share the journal with
nursing staff in the beginning before eventually sharing it with her family.
What were their reactions?
5.
Answer questions about recommending writing during cancer
treatment with other patients and students
6.
D.

Answer questions about her current writing

Samantha Pate
1.
Answers questions related to her story, the realization of her
situation, her attempts to get teachers and other parents involved to save
her, the speculation she faced with the allegations, and eventually removing
herself from his care to later prosecute him. How does her story affect her
daily decisions?
2.
Answers questions about writing therapy during the ordeal and
working on publishing a book based on this narrative.
3.
How did reflecting on this writing affect her emotionally and affect
her perception of the situation?
4.
When she first shared her writing how did people react? Now, how do
her readers respond?
5.
Answer questions about recommending writing as therapy to children
in the social worker and foster care system. Answer questions about
encouraging intervention on behalf of the children who present such writing.
6.

E.

Answer questions about her current personal writing.

Ashlee Sanders
1.
Answers questions related to the narrative regarding her emotional
suffering and how the sudden shift in her life affected her
2.
Answers questions about writing all of her secret thoughts and
feelings over the situation: feelings she was ashamed to share aloud with
family or friends

3.
How did her reflection on this writing change her outlook on the
situation?
4.
Did she ever show the writing to her family? Mom? Or friends? If so,
how did they react? How did she handle the reaction?
5.

Answers questions about current writing

Development and Design Document

Title: Writing as Therapy: Exorcising Inner Demons
Length: 225
Trim size: 6x9
1. The story in a nutshell
Writing as Therapy: Exorcising Inner Demons acts as a guide to recognizing and
conquering personal fears through the liberating practice of writing.
2. The story in more detail
Writing as Therapy acts as a guide for personal journeys into the darker events of our lives
to better understand how these events affected us and how we cope with these effect.
Part I consists of inspiring narrative stories and interviews with courageous writers using
journals as a form of therapy.
This will serve as a tool to relate the reader with the procedures in this book. Knowing
others are willing to share their life experiences with the reader gains his or her trust and
motivates him or her to consider the positive outcomes of therapeutic writing. These
narratives are gathered from interviews with crisis survivors who mentor in online
support forums. I want my readers to grow from these moments and accept surviving these
moments as part of their strength instead of viewing it as a weakness. Reading about
successful people who have survived similar experiences and are now mentoring other
survivors will help them gain perspective and hope.
Part II consists of the actual procedural guide from the beginnings of writing the first few
pages to the end of exposing all of the writers emotional vulnerabilities.
The experience may be traumatic for some participants at the start before real healing can
begin. Thats why its so important for this book to be inviting, relaxing, and familiar.
3. Describe the general nature of your book and its intended market

Narratives
Interviews
Guide
Procedures
Readers surviving through depression, anxiety, or related disorders
Readers searching for alternatives to anti-depressants

4. Describe the general look that you want:

I want the text to be soothing. I want the organization to be clean and elegant. The design of
the book should emulate a writing journal. Something with the illusion of a leather bound
book, some aged pages, and some calligraphy in the more important headings.

I want it to seem familiar before the reader even begins searching it in depth.
Any art or illustrations should be similar to what a writer would draw or stick in his or her
journal. So things like maple leaves, butterflies, flowers, feathers just anything really a
writer or reader would pick up and use as a book mark but with an organic feel. The actual
art should seem faded and well-used.
5. Basic page grid
1.5 column layout with side bar column to feature quotes, small graphics, tips, brief details
on writing therapy in history vertical bars identifying story or section being read
shaded with the corresponding part color.
6. Color Palette (if applicable)
Id like to see cool tones: soothing blues, relaxing purples, and some soft gray shades. The
first page of each Part should feature a soft gray screen. Each Part should have its own
corresponding color to match the vertical bar in the outer margin of the pages.
The title fonts and headings throughout the sections should also match corresponding
colors if only defined by differing shades of said colors.
Id like the main text to be charcoal gray like pencil graphite.
7. Fonts
Id like to use calligraphy or italicized font for the main Part and section headings. I think
its important this book feel like a journal. I feel like this type of font for the headings
creates some familiarity with traditional journal writing and a little elegance to the design.
The main text should be a serif font. I like Cambria, Georgia, and Goudy Old Style. This is for
readability of the potentially denser body sections. These serif fonts create a curve effect so
the readers eyes will follow with ease.

Book Marketing Plan

Book title: Writing as Therapy: Exorcising Inner Demons
Intended audience(s): Anyone attending crisis counseling, group therapy, or taking antidepressant medication will benefit from this book.
Market Research:
According to the results of the marketing survey, 75% of trauma survivors seek therapy.
Only a third of these individuals discover journaling as an essential step in the healing
process. Seventy percent of the participants agreed writing was or would have been
beneficial during recovery.
I know this means several things for the success of this book and for the success of the
books intended audience. This book will raise awareness in the psychiatry and counseling
communities of the benefits of reflective journal writing as a form of therapy.
One-sentence hook:
This book helps people seeking help who want to gain closure and understanding get
perspective they need to make healthier future decisions.
Marketing story for the book:
If youve ever felt as though your life is a series of bad choices and unfortunate events one
right after the other, youre not alone. Millions of people suffer from different forms of
depression, anxiety, and struggle to cope with life-altering situations. There are
alternatives to medication, but therapy, alone, is not always enough. The source of these
residual issues may be internal. There is a way to heal unrelenting wounds, and it doesnt
cost thousands of dollars.
Writing as Therapy acts as a guide for personal journeys into the darker events of our lives
to better understand how these events affected us and how we cope with these effects. If
youve ever wondered why you repeat a cycle of unhealthy decisions or why you cant
communicate your suffering to loved-ones, this book will help you discover the source and
progress to a healthier stage in your life.
Contact Channels:
I think a book tour and promoting through different counseling groups is the best way to
market my book to my audience through contact channels.
Media Venues:
Social media and blogs is a great way for my audience to connect with this book. A lot of
people seek help online in support groups and online forums. Promoting there, with the
permission of the administrators, will work just as well.